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Directors Beth and Rich Correll, whose letters defending Brian Peck in his court case against Drake Bell were made public in the recent documentary “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” apologize.
“We extend our sincere apologies to Drake Bell and his family, and deeply regret our decision many years ago to seek clemency for someone who we later learned had committed a horrible crime and caused so much pain and trauma to Drake and others. “If we had known the truth at the time the letters were written, we would never have written them,” the Corrells said in an exclusive statement to Variety. “There are no words to express how bad we feel about being on the wrong side of a horrible situation and the trauma it caused you, Drake. “We are devastated for having unknowingly supported the unbearable.”
Their statement continues: “Our top priority having worked on many sets over the years was the safety of the children. We would never knowingly endanger any child. We are saddened and dismayed to hear all the in-depth details following the release of ‘Quiet on the Set’. Children must be protected and must always be in a safe environment…both at work and at home. Drake, you are in our hearts, we are proud of your bravery and we hope that you can now heal. “Once again, we are very sorry.”
Among their many credits, the Corrells worked on multiple episodes of “The Amanda Show,” “All That,” and “Drake & Josh.”
During the ID documentary, Bell came forward for the first time and revealed that he was the minor who accused acting coach Brian Peck of sexual abuse. Peck was arrested in 2003, served 16 months in prison and was ordered to register as a sex offender. Beth and Rich Correll were two of more than 40 people who wrote character letters to Peck, many of which were revealed during the documentary. In his letter, Rich Correll wrote that it would be a pleasure to work with Peck again, and he did.
After being released from prison, Peck landed a job on Disney Channel’s “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.” Rich and Beth Correll served as director and second director, respectively, on 55 episodes of the children’s show; The couple told the documentary’s producers that they were not involved or involved in Peck’s casting and that when asked about the case, “Mr. Peck simply responded that ‘the problem had been resolved.'” Peck did voice-over work on three episodes of “Suite Life,” but Variety confirms that he was never on set and had no interaction with the cast or crew. Once Disney Channel found out about his conviction, he was immediately fired and replaced.
After the document was released, Nickelodeon made the following statement about Bell: “Now that Drake Bell has revealed his identity as a plaintiff in the 2004 case, we are shocked and saddened to learn of the trauma he has endured, and we praise and support the force. necessary to move forward.”
They also responded to the many accusations made against producer Dan Schneider, who has since also posted a response and apology. “While we cannot corroborate or deny allegations of behavior from decades-old productions, Nickelodeon, as a matter of policy, investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional work environment, free of harassment or other types of harassment. inappropriate conduct,” the statement said. said the network. “Our top priorities are the well-being and best interests of not only our employees, cast and crew, but all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we live up to our high standards.” standards and the expectations of our audience.”
Bell, in turn, said he felt the network’s statements were “pretty empty.”
“They’re still showing our shows, they’re still showing our shows, and I have to pay for my own therapy,” she said on “The Sarah Fraser Show” podcast following the document’s release. “I have to figure out what… I mean, if there was anything, if there was any truth behind them actually caring, there would be more than just quotes on a page from obviously a legal representative telling them exactly how to tailor a response.”
Peck has not responded to VarietyRequest for comments.
